Social work and the law: a therapeutic jurisprudence perspective

Social workers in all practice areas are affected by interactions with the law and legal systems. Unfortunately, the profession has paid inadequate attention to education, scholarship, and practice in legal environments. This article introduces a new perspective for examining social work and the law called "therapeutic jurisprudence," which emanates from psychology/mental health law. Therapeutic jurisprudence focuses on the therapeutic and antitherapeutic consequences of laws, legal rules, and legal actions. It provides a framework for assessing legal issues, applying social science research to legal questions, and structuring interventions in the legal environment. The authors argue that this perspective has the potential to serve as a lens through which social workers can view the law and, ultimately, use the knowledge gained to achieve better outcomes for clients.